This Robot is used for practicing English at level A2. In order to interact with this Robot smoothly, please use a laptop, desktop, or iPad. Do not use Smartphones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n \n \n What’s happening? – Reading Comprehension<\/title>\n <style>\n \/* Reset and Base Styles *\/\n * {\n box-sizing: border-box;\n }\n\n body {\n font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\n background-color: #f4f6f8;\n margin: 0;\n padding: 0;\n display: flex;\n flex-direction: column;\n min-height: 100vh;\n }\n\n \/* Menu Styles *\/\n .menu {\n width: 100%;\n background-color: #28a745;\n padding: 10px;\n text-align: center;\n box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);\n margin-bottom: 10px;\n overflow-x: auto;\n white-space: nowrap;\n }\n .menu a {\n color: #fff;\n text-decoration: none;\n margin: 0 10px;\n font-weight: bold;\n font-size: 14px;\n display: inline-block;\n }\n .menu a:hover,\n .menu a:focus {\n text-decoration: underline;\n outline: 2px dashed #fff;\n outline-offset: 4px;\n }\n\n \/* Container Styles *\/\n .container {\n display: flex;\n flex-direction: column;\n align-items: center;\n padding: 10px;\n box-sizing: border-box;\n flex: 1 0 auto;\n width: 100%;\n }\n\n \/* Image and Chat Containers *\/\n .image-chat-wrapper {\n display: flex;\n flex-direction: column;\n width: 100%;\n max-width: 800px;\n flex: 1;\n }\n\n \/* Image Container Styles *\/\n .image-container {\n flex: 1;\n text-align: center;\n margin-bottom: 15px;\n }\n .image-container img {\n width: 100%;\n height: auto;\n max-height: 300px;\n object-fit: cover;\n border-radius: 15px;\n box-shadow: 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);\n }\n .sentence-text {\n margin: 10px 0;\n font-weight: bold;\n color: #333;\n font-size: 16px;\n }\n .word-box {\n margin-top: 10px;\n padding: 10px;\n background-color: #fff;\n border: 2px solid #28a745;\n border-radius: 8px;\n box-shadow: 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);\n font-size: 16px;\n font-weight: bold;\n color: #28a745;\n text-align: left;\n max-height: 250px;\n overflow-y: auto;\n }\n\n \/* Chat Container Styles *\/\n .chat-container {\n background-color: #28a745;\n border-radius: 15px;\n box-shadow: 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);\n border: 3px solid #007bff; \/* blue border for chatbot *\/\n overflow: hidden;\n display: flex;\n flex-direction: column;\n height: auto;\n max-height: 500px;\n flex: 1;\n }\n .chat-header {\n background-color: #1e7e34;\n color: #fff;\n padding: 12px;\n text-align: center;\n border-bottom: 1px solid #155724;\n position: relative;\n }\n .chat-header h2 {\n margin: 0;\n font-size: 18px;\n }\n \/* Loader Indicator *\/\n .chat-header .loader {\n position: absolute;\n right: 20px;\n top: 50%;\n transform: translateY(-50%);\n display: none;\n }\n .chat-messages {\n padding: 12px;\n overflow-y: auto;\n flex: 1;\n background-color: #fff;\n max-height: 300px;\n }\n .message {\n margin-bottom: 10px;\n padding: 10px;\n border-radius: 6px;\n font-size: 14px;\n line-height: 1.5;\n }\n .user-message {\n background-color: #ffc107;\n color: #fff;\n text-align: right;\n }\n .bot-message {\n background-color: #17a2b8;\n color: #fff;\n text-align: left;\n }\n\n \/* Chat Input Styles *\/\n .chat-input {\n display: flex;\n align-items: center;\n background-color: #c3e6cb;\n padding: 10px;\n justify-content: space-between;\n flex-wrap: wrap;\n }\n .send-button, .stop-button {\n background-color: #17a2b8;\n color: #fff;\n font-weight: bold;\n border: none;\n border-radius: 5px;\n padding: 12px 16px;\n cursor: pointer;\n transition: background-color 0.3s;\n flex: 1;\n margin: 6px;\n max-width: 150px;\n font-size: 16px;\n }\n .stop-button {\n background-color: #dc3545;\n }\n .send-button:hover,\n .stop-button:hover,\n .send-button:focus,\n .stop-button:focus {\n background-color: #218838;\n outline: none;\n }\n\n \/* Voice Selection Styles *\/\n .voice-selection {\n margin: 10px 0;\n width: 100%;\n max-width: 300px;\n }\n .voice-selection label {\n display: block;\n margin-bottom: 5px;\n font-weight: bold;\n color: #333;\n }\n .voice-selection select {\n width: 100%;\n padding: 8px;\n border-radius: 5px;\n border: 1px solid #ccc;\n font-size: 14px;\n }\n\n \/* Loader Styles *\/\n .loader {\n border: 4px solid #f3f3f3;\n border-top: 4px solid #17a2b8;\n border-radius: 50%;\n width: 20px;\n height: 20px;\n animation: spin 2s linear infinite;\n display: inline-block;\n margin-left: 10px;\n }\n\n @keyframes spin {\n 0% { transform: rotate(0deg); }\n 100% { transform: rotate(360deg); }\n }\n\n \/* Responsive Design Adjustments *\/\n\n \/* Portrait Mode *\/\n @media (orientation: portrait) {\n .image-chat-wrapper {\n flex-direction: column;\n }\n .image-container, .chat-container {\n width: 100%;\n max-width: 100%;\n }\n }\n\n \/* Landscape Mode *\/\n @media (orientation: landscape) and (min-width: 600px) {\n .image-chat-wrapper {\n flex-direction: row;\n justify-content: space-between;\n }\n .image-container, .chat-container {\n width: 48%;\n max-width: 48%;\n }\n .word-box {\n max-height: 200px;\n }\n .chat-header h2 {\n font-size: 20px;\n }\n .message {\n font-size: 15px;\n }\n .send-button, .stop-button {\n font-size: 18px;\n padding: 14px 20px;\n max-width: 200px;\n }\n }\n\n \/* General Mobile Responsiveness *\/\n @media (max-width: 768px) {\n .chat-header h2 {\n font-size: 16px;\n }\n .message {\n font-size: 14px;\n }\n .send-button, .stop-button {\n font-size: 16px;\n padding: 12px 16px;\n max-width: 150px;\n }\n .word-box {\n font-size: 15px;\n }\n .voice-selection select {\n font-size: 14px;\n }\n }\n\n \/* Samsung Android Specific Adjustments *\/\n @media only screen and (max-device-width: 480px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) {\n .chat-header h2 {\n font-size: 18px;\n }\n .send-button, .stop-button {\n padding: 14px 18px;\n font-size: 16px;\n }\n .message {\n font-size: 14px;\n }\n .word-box {\n font-size: 16px;\n }\n .chat-input input {\n font-size: 16px;\n }\n }\n <\/style>\n<\/head>\n<body>\n <div class=\"menu\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-conversation\/\">Conversation<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-vocabulary\/\">Vocabulary<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-real-life\/\">Real Life<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-describing-pictures\/\">Describing Pictures<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-job-application\/\">Job Application<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-speaking\/\">Speaking<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-reading-comprehension\/\">Reading<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-practice\/\">Practice<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"container\">\n <div class=\"image-chat-wrapper\">\n <div class=\"image-container\">\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6.webp\" alt=\"Robot teacher asking what's happening now\">\n <div class=\"sentence-text\">Listen to the questions about what is happening now and these days. Answer in full sentences.<\/div>\n <div id=\"word-box\" class=\"word-box\">\n <!-- Learned sentences and answers will be displayed here -->\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"chat-container\">\n <div class=\"chat-header\">\n <h2>What\u2019s happening? – Reading Comprehension<\/h2>\n <div class=\"loader\" id=\"synthesis-loader\"><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"chat-messages\" id=\"chat-messages\">\n <!-- Messages will appear here -->\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"chat-input\">\n <!-- Voice Selection Dropdown -->\n <div class=\"voice-selection\">\n <label for=\"voice-select\">Choose Voice:<\/label>\n <select id=\"voice-select\" aria-label=\"Select Voice\">\n <option value=\"\">Loading voices…<\/option>\n <\/select>\n <\/div>\n <!-- Start and Stop Buttons -->\n <button id=\"start-btn\" class=\"send-button\" aria-label=\"Start Lesson\">Start<\/button>\n <button id=\"stop-btn\" class=\"stop-button\" aria-label=\"Stop Lesson\">Stop<\/button>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"menu\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-conversation\/\">Conversation<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-vocabulary\/\">Vocabulary<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-real-life\/\">Real Life<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-describing-pictures\/\">Describing Pictures<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-job-application\/\">Job Application<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-speaking\/\">Speaking<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-reading-comprehension\/\">Reading<\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/whats-happening-practice\/\">Practice<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<script>\n\/* ============================\n Reading: Julie\u2019s letter from Tokyo\n ============================ *\/\n\n\/\/ The full letter text\nconst letterText = `Dear Joanne,\nHi! I\u2019m having a wonderful time here in Tokyo. I\u2019m staying with the Kikuchi family. They\u2019re great. I\u2019m sitting in the living room and the children are with me. They\u2019re playing a new computer game!\nAs you know, I\u2019m studying at a language school here. I\u2019m enjoying the classes because I\u2019m learning a lot about Japanese culture. I\u2019m studying hard, but it\u2019s difficult. I can speak Japanese OK, but I can\u2019t read or write it. Anyway, the food is good and I\u2019m eating a lot! The only problem is the weather. It\u2019s really hot and humid here in August!\nLots of love,\nJulie\nP.S. I\u2019m sending you a photo of Tokyo. It\u2019s a big, busy city.`;\n\n\/\/ TRUE \/ FALSE \/ NOT IN TEXT statements (like the book)\nconst statements = [\n {\n id: 1,\n text: \"Julie is enjoying her time in Japan.\",\n correct: \"yes\"\n },\n {\n id: 2,\n text: \"She\u2019s staying in a dormitory.\",\n correct: \"no\"\n },\n {\n id: 3,\n text: \"There are two children in the Kikuchi family.\",\n correct: \"not\"\n },\n {\n id: 4,\n text: \"She is playing a computer game right now.\",\n correct: \"no\"\n },\n {\n id: 5,\n text: \"She\u2019s studying English.\",\n correct: \"no\"\n },\n {\n id: 6,\n text: \"The language school is near her home.\",\n correct: \"not\"\n },\n {\n id: 7,\n text: \"The classes are not easy for her.\",\n correct: \"yes\"\n },\n {\n id: 8,\n text: \"Japanese food is her favorite.\",\n correct: \"not\" \/\/ not said exactly in the text\n },\n {\n id: 9,\n text: \"She likes the weather.\",\n correct: \"no\"\n },\n {\n id: 10,\n text: \"She wants to speak to Joanne.\",\n correct: \"not\"\n }\n];\n\nconst positiveMessages = [\n \"Great! That matches the letter.\",\n \"Well done! That\u2019s correct.\",\n \"Excellent comprehension!\",\n \"Very good. You understood the text.\"\n];\n\nconst summaryMessages = [\n \"Nice reading!\",\n \"Keep practicing your reading.\",\n \"You\u2019re doing well. Try this activity again later.\"\n];\n\n\/\/ Speech synthesis (voice) \u2013 still used to read the letter and feedback\nconst speechSynthesisSupported = \"speechSynthesis\" in window;\nlet voices = [];\nlet selectedVoice = null;\n\nconst desiredVoiceNames = [\n \"Google US English\",\n \"Google US English Female\",\n \"Google UK English Male\",\n \"Google UK English Female\"\n];\n\n\/* ========== INITIALISE ========== *\/\n\nfunction initialize() {\n loadVoices();\n\n if (!speechSynthesisSupported) {\n appendMessage(\"Sorry, your browser does not support speech synthesis.\", \"bot\");\n }\n\n \/\/ Change button labels \/ roles\n const startBtn = document.getElementById(\"start-btn\");\n startBtn.textContent = \"Check Answers\";\n startBtn.setAttribute(\"aria-label\", \"Check Answers\");\n startBtn.onclick = checkAnswers;\n\n const stopBtn = document.getElementById(\"stop-btn\");\n stopBtn.textContent = \"Stop Voice\";\n stopBtn.setAttribute(\"aria-label\", \"Stop Voice\");\n stopBtn.onclick = stopSpeaking;\n\n \/\/ Show the letter in the left box and read it once\n greetUserAndShowLetter();\n\n \/\/ Build the checkbox questions in the right box\n renderQuestionGrid();\n}\n\n\/* ========== VOICES ========== *\/\n\nfunction loadVoices() {\n if (!speechSynthesisSupported) return;\n voices = window.speechSynthesis.getVoices();\n if (voices.length === 0) {\n window.speechSynthesis.onvoiceschanged = () => {\n voices = window.speechSynthesis.getVoices();\n populateVoiceList();\n };\n } else {\n populateVoiceList();\n }\n}\n\nfunction populateVoiceList() {\n const voiceSelect = document.getElementById(\"voice-select\");\n voiceSelect.innerHTML = \"\";\n\n if (!speechSynthesisSupported) {\n const option = document.createElement(\"option\");\n option.value = \"\";\n option.textContent = \"No voices available\";\n voiceSelect.appendChild(option);\n voiceSelect.disabled = true;\n return;\n }\n\n const filteredVoices = voices.filter((voice) =>\n desiredVoiceNames.includes(voice.name)\n );\n\n if (filteredVoices.length === 0) {\n const option = document.createElement(\"option\");\n option.value = \"\";\n option.textContent = \"Default voice\";\n voiceSelect.appendChild(option);\n voiceSelect.disabled = true;\n return;\n }\n\n filteredVoices.forEach((voice, index) => {\n const option = document.createElement(\"option\");\n option.value = index;\n option.textContent = `${voice.name} (${voice.lang})`;\n voiceSelect.appendChild(option);\n });\n\n if (filteredVoices.length > 0) {\n voiceSelect.selectedIndex = 0;\n selectedVoice = filteredVoices[0];\n }\n\n voiceSelect.onchange = () => {\n const selectedIndex = voiceSelect.value;\n selectedVoice = filteredVoices[selectedIndex];\n };\n}\n\n\/* ========== LETTER + QUESTIONS UI ========== *\/\n\nfunction greetUserAndShowLetter() {\n clearWordBox();\n addSentenceToBox(\"Julie\u2019s letter from Tokyo:\");\n letterText.split(\"\\n\").forEach((line) => addSentenceToBox(line));\n\n const greeting =\n \"Hello! Read Julie\u2019s letter in the box. Then choose Yes, No, or Not in the text for each sentence on the right. When you finish, click Check Answers.\";\n appendMessage(greeting, \"bot\");\n showSynthesisLoader(true);\n sayText(greeting + \" Now I will read the letter.\", \"en-US\")\n .then(() => sayText(letterText, \"en-US\"))\n .then(() => {\n showSynthesisLoader(false);\n });\n}\n\nfunction renderQuestionGrid() {\n const chatContainer = document.getElementById(\"chat-messages\");\n\n const intro = document.createElement(\"p\");\n intro.textContent =\n \"Choose the best answer for each sentence: Yes, No, or Not in the text.\";\n chatContainer.appendChild(intro);\n\n const table = document.createElement(\"table\");\n table.style.width = \"100%\";\n table.style.borderCollapse = \"collapse\";\n table.style.marginTop = \"10px\";\n table.style.fontSize = \"14px\";\n\n const headerRow = document.createElement(\"tr\");\n [\"Sentence\", \"Yes\", \"No\", \"Not in the text\"].forEach((head) => {\n const th = document.createElement(\"th\");\n th.textContent = head;\n th.style.borderBottom = \"1px solid #ccc\";\n th.style.padding = \"4px\";\n th.style.textAlign = head === \"Sentence\" ? \"left\" : \"center\";\n headerRow.appendChild(th);\n });\n table.appendChild(headerRow);\n\n statements.forEach((stmt) => {\n const row = document.createElement(\"tr\");\n row.id = `row-${stmt.id}`;\n\n const textCell = document.createElement(\"td\");\n textCell.textContent = stmt.text;\n textCell.style.padding = \"4px\";\n textCell.style.verticalAlign = \"top\";\n row.appendChild(textCell);\n\n [\"yes\", \"no\", \"not\"].forEach((value) => {\n const cell = document.createElement(\"td\");\n cell.style.textAlign = \"center\";\n cell.style.padding = \"4px\";\n\n const label = document.createElement(\"label\");\n label.style.cursor = \"pointer\";\n\n const input = document.createElement(\"input\");\n input.type = \"radio\";\n input.name = `q${stmt.id}`;\n input.value = value;\n input.style.marginRight = \"4px\";\n\n label.appendChild(input);\n label.appendChild(document.createTextNode(\"\"));\n cell.appendChild(label);\n row.appendChild(cell);\n });\n\n table.appendChild(row);\n });\n\n chatContainer.appendChild(table);\n}\n\n\/* ========== CHECK ANSWERS ========== *\/\n\nfunction checkAnswers() {\n let score = 0;\n let total = statements.length;\n let unanswered = 0;\n\n \/\/ Reset row backgrounds\n statements.forEach((stmt) => {\n const row = document.getElementById(`row-${stmt.id}`);\n if (row) row.style.backgroundColor = \"\";\n });\n\n statements.forEach((stmt) => {\n const selected = document.querySelector(\n `input[name=\"q${stmt.id}\"]:checked`\n );\n const row = document.getElementById(`row-${stmt.id}`);\n\n if (!selected) {\n unanswered++;\n if (row) row.style.backgroundColor = \"#fff3cd\"; \/\/ light yellow\n return;\n }\n\n if (selected.value === stmt.correct) {\n score++;\n if (row) row.style.backgroundColor = \"#d4edda\"; \/\/ light green\n } else {\n if (row) row.style.backgroundColor = \"#f8d7da\"; \/\/ light red\n }\n });\n\n const resultMessage =\n `You got ${score} out of ${total} correct.` +\n (unanswered > 0\n ? ` You didn\u2019t answer ${unanswered} sentence(s).`\n : \"\");\n\n appendMessage(resultMessage, \"bot\");\n\n \/\/ A little extra feedback line\n const extra =\n summaryMessages[Math.floor(Math.random() * summaryMessages.length)];\n appendMessage(extra, \"bot\");\n\n if (speechSynthesisSupported) {\n showSynthesisLoader(true);\n sayText(resultMessage + \" \" + extra, \"en-US\").then(() => {\n showSynthesisLoader(false);\n });\n }\n}\n\n\/* ========== SPEECH HELPERS (TTS ONLY) ========== *\/\n\nfunction stopSpeaking() {\n if (speechSynthesisSupported) {\n window.speechSynthesis.cancel();\n showSynthesisLoader(false);\n }\n}\n\nfunction sayText(text, lang) {\n return new Promise((resolve) => {\n if (!speechSynthesisSupported) {\n resolve();\n return;\n }\n const utterance = new SpeechSynthesisUtterance(text);\n utterance.lang = lang;\n utterance.rate = 1.0;\n utterance.pitch = 1.0;\n\n if (selectedVoice) {\n utterance.voice = selectedVoice;\n }\n\n utterance.onend = function () {\n resolve();\n };\n\n utterance.onerror = function () {\n resolve();\n };\n\n window.speechSynthesis.speak(utterance);\n });\n}\n\n\/* ========== GENERIC UI HELPERS ========== *\/\n\nfunction appendMessage(text, sender) {\n const messageContainer = document.getElementById(\"chat-messages\");\n const messageElement = document.createElement(\"div\");\n messageElement.classList.add(\"message\");\n messageElement.classList.add(sender === \"bot\" ? \"bot-message\" : \"user-message\");\n messageElement.innerText = text;\n messageContainer.appendChild(messageElement);\n messageContainer.scrollTop = messageContainer.scrollHeight;\n}\n\nfunction addSentenceToBox(sentence) {\n const wordBox = document.getElementById(\"word-box\");\n const sentenceElement = document.createElement(\"div\");\n sentenceElement.innerText = sentence;\n wordBox.appendChild(sentenceElement);\n wordBox.scrollTop = wordBox.scrollHeight;\n}\n\nfunction clearWordBox() {\n const wordBox = document.getElementById(\"word-box\");\n wordBox.innerHTML = \"\";\n}\n\nfunction showSynthesisLoader(show) {\n const loader = document.getElementById(\"synthesis-loader\");\n loader.style.display = show ? \"inline-block\" : \"none\";\n if (show) {\n loader.style.borderTop = \"4px solid #17a2b8\";\n }\n}\n\n\/\/ Start everything\nwindow.onload = initialize;\n<\/script>\n<\/body>\n<\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This Robot is used for practicing English at level A2. In order to interact with this Robot smoothly, please use<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[18,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a2","category-chatbot"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":311,"href":"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298\/revisions\/311"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-cte.org\/robot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}